List of VFL/AFL premiers
Template:Short description Template:Use Australian English Template:Use dmy dates
This page is a complete chronological listing of VFL/AFL premiers. The Australian Football League (AFL), known as the Victorian Football League (VFL) until 1989, is the elite national competition in men's Australian rules football.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The inaugural premiership was awarded as a result of a round-robin finals system;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> this format was replaced after the first season, and a grand final has been held every season since 1898 to determine the premiers,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> with the exception of 1924 when a modified round-robin system was used.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The formation of a national competition, beginning in 1987,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> has resulted in the league attempting to develop "an even and stable competition"<ref name="Draft">Template:Cite web</ref> through a range of equalisation policies, such as a salary cap and draft (introduced in 1985 and 1986, respectively).<ref name="Draft"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> This has had a significant impact on the spread of premierships: since 1990, thirteen clubs have won a premiership,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> compared with only five clubs between 1967 and 1989.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Three clubs, Template:AFL Car, Template:AFL Col and Template:AFL Ess, have won the most VFL/AFL premierships, with 16 each.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> All teams currently competing in the AFL except Template:AFL Fre, Template:AFL GC and Template:AFL GWS (three of the four newest clubs) have won a premiership, and all except Template:AFL GC have played in a grand final.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
List of premiers
| NF | Premiership decided without a grand final being required |
| CF | Premiership decided by a challenge final under the Argus finals system or similar |
| F | Premiership decided without a challenge final being required under the Argus finals system or similarTemplate:Ref label |
| GF | Premiership decided by a conventional grand final, in which neither team had any right to challenge |
| GF | Premiership decided by a grand final replay, after the scheduled grand final was drawn |
| R |
Premierships by club
Minor grade premierships
In addition to the seniors, VFL/AFL clubs have competed in premierships in three minor grades.
Night premierships
Template:Main The pre-season and night premiership covers three competitions which are considered historically equivalent in status:
- VFL night series, a consolation competition played amongst non-finalists between 1956 and 1971, and again in 1977, 1978 and 1987.
- Australian Football Championships night series, a mid-season knock-out competition played concurrently with the premiership and involving teams from interstate, played between 1979 and 1986.
- VFL/AFL pre-season competition, played before each season from 1988 until 2013.
Seconds/reserves premierships
Template:Main The reserve grade premiership was held in various formats between 1919 and 1999. It was known as the Victorian Junior Football League from 1919 until 1923, the Seconds from 1924 until 1959, the VFL Reserves from 1960 until 1989, and as the AFL reserves from 1990 until 1999.<ref name="rename" /> Until 1991, the competition was run by the VFL/AFL, and from 1992 until 1999 it was administered by the Victorian State Football League.
Thirds/under-19s premierships
The VFL/AFL under-19s competition was held between 1946 and 1991. It was known as the VFL thirds from 1946 until 1959, and as the under-19s from 1960 until 1991.<ref name="rename"/> Template:Col-begin Template:Col-4
- 1946: Template:AFL NM
- 1947: Template:AFL Mel
- 1948: Template:AFL Car
- 1949: Template:AFL Car Template:Small
- 1950: Template:AFL Ess
- 1951: Template:AFL Car Template:Small
- 1952: Template:AFL Ess Template:Small
- 1953: Template:AFL Mel Template:Small
- 1954: Template:AFL Foo
- 1955: Template:AFL Fit
- 1956: Template:AFL SM
- 1957: Template:AFL StK
- 1958: Template:AFL Ric
- 1959: Template:AFL Ess Template:Small
- 1960: Template:AFL Col
- 1961: Template:AFL Ess Template:Small
- 1962: Template:AFL Gee
- 1963: Template:AFL Car Template:Small
- 1964: Template:AFL Mel Template:Small
- 1965: Template:AFL Col Template:Small
- 1966: Template:AFL Ess Template:Small
- 1967: Template:AFL Ric Template:Small
- 1968: Template:AFL Ric Template:Small
- 1969: Template:AFL Ric Template:Small
- 1970: Template:AFL Ric Template:Small
- 1971: Template:AFL Mel Template:Small
- 1972: Template:AFL Haw
- 1973: Template:AFL Ric Template:Small
- 1974: Template:AFL Col Template:Small
- 1975: Template:AFL Ric Template:Small
- 1976: Template:AFL NM Template:Small
- 1977: Template:AFL Ric Template:Small
- 1978: Template:AFL Car Template:Small
- 1979: Template:AFL Car Template:Small
- 1980: Template:AFL Ric Template:Small
- 1981: Template:AFL Mel Template:Small
- 1982: Template:AFL Fit Template:Small
- 1983: Template:AFL Mel Template:Small
- 1984: Template:AFL NM Template:Small
- 1985: Template:AFL Ric Template:Small
- 1986: Template:AFL Col Template:Small
- 1987: Template:AFL NM Template:Small
- 1988: Template:AFL NM Template:Small
- 1989: Template:AFL Ric Template:Small
- 1990: Template:AFL NM Template:Small
- 1991: Template:AFL NM Template:Small
Source<ref name="egep"/>
See also
- AFL Grand Final
- List of AFL Women's premiers
- List of VFL/AFL pre-season and night series premiers
- List of VFL/AFL premiership captains and coaches
- List of VFL/AFL wooden spoons
Notes
- Template:Note label In these cases, had the other team won the match, a rematch would have been played the following weekend.
- Template:Note label Template:AFL Syd was known as South Melbourne prior to relocation in 1982.
- Template:Note label Template:AFL NM was known simply as the Kangaroos from 1999 to 2007.
- Template:Note label Template:AFL WB was known as Footscray prior to 1997.
References
Sources
Template:VFL/AFL premiers Template:Australian Football League